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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stem — to come from
  6. land — to come down
  7. fine — all right
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rock — a stone
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — a country
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ball — a dance
  19. land — ground
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. rock — music
  24. ball — a great time

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