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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wind — moving air
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ground — a position
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rest — a break
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. ground — crushed
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. staff — employees
  21. snap — to click
  22. tube — a container
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rest — what's left

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