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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 120 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 · last · suit · mouse · rush · bay · pit · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. pit — in a race
  10. last — finally
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rest — what's left
  13. game — a match
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. suit — to fit
  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