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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. lean — thin
  7. rest — a break
  8. can — to be able to
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — army training
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rest — what's left
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ball — a great time
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. ball — a dance
  23. cue — a signal
  24. lean — to rest against

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