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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. 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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. fine — high quality
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — a break
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cap — of ice
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — a face
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mug — a cup
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. cold — an illness
  24. press — a publisher

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