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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rest — a break
  4. bound — certain
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fine — all right
  7. bound — tied together
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. pop — soda
  12. bound — obliged
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pop — music
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rock — music
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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