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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mug — a face
  4. band — a music group
  5. mate — to breed
  6. object — a thing
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rest — a break
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ground — the earth
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mug — a cup
  14. ground — a position
  15. foot — a measure
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — a partner
  21. object — an aim
  22. rest — what's left
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. object — to protest

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