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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. suit — in cards
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bat — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. suit — clothes
  17. dip — to sink
  18. stand — to bear

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