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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — in football
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. row — to paddle
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. ground — the earth
  11. row — a line
  12. snap — to click
  13. stand — to bear
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. face — to confront
  16. rest — a break
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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