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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. chest — a box
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — a break
  22. chest — of your body
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bound — obliged

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