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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — a series
  3. rest — a break
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. lean — to bend
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. shower — rain
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cap — of ice
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. shower — to wash

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