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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: game · bay · bound · wake · rash · straw · mouse · rush

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bound — certain
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. game — a match

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