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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to click
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lean — thin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rest — a break
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rest — what's left
  15. board — to get on
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. date — the fruit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. board — a committee
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to drill
  24. perch — for a bird

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