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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · rest · pound · mine · mouse · date · vault · arm

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pound — a weight
  8. date — the fruit
  9. hand — help
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. hand — in cards
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com