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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rest — a break
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wake — a trail
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. drill — army training
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — a match
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. pound — a weight
  24. game — a kind of play

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