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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 120 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — a gift
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. firm — a company
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. present — there
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — a break
  15. rule — a law
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. firm — steady
  20. rule — government
  21. season — of the year
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. firm — decided

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