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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — all right
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fine — high quality
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — a break
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. rock — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — a trace

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