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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — a container
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rule — government
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rest — a break
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rule — a law
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cell — a phone
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. wake — before a funeral

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