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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.

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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. club — for golf
  6. lean — to bend
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — not warm
  11. club — for dancing
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rest — a break
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. club — a group
  20. can — a tin
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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