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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. deal — to handle
  10. can — to be able to
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wind — moving air
  14. game — a match
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rock — music
  18. rest — a break
  19. can — a tin
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. rock — a stone

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