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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pop — soda
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cap — a hat
  8. present — a gift
  9. suit — to fit
  10. can — to be able to
  11. present — the time now
  12. rest — a break
  13. pop — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. present — there
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — of ice

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