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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lean — to bend
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spell — magic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitch — completely
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lean — thin
  15. rest — a break
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hand — in cards
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — help
  23. rest — what's left
  24. dip — to dunk

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