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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. rest — what's left
  3. march — music
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. wake — a trail
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — thin
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — all right
  14. rest — a break
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. march — the month

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