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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · last · mouse · bear · rest · rash · saw · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rash — a series
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. last — finally
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. last — to go on
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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