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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mug — to rob
  3. file — a document
  4. mug — a face
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — obliged
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bound — tied together

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