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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a music group
  3. tear — from crying
  4. band — a ring
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rest — a break
  8. pop — soda
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bulb — for light
  11. current — happening now
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — of water
  15. pop — to visit
  16. current — electric
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stand — to bear
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pop — music
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — for light

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