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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mug — a face
  5. court — of law
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. court — of a king
  9. object — to protest
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — for sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rest — what's left
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. object — an aim
  19. rest — a break
  20. object — a thing
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. date — on the calendar

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