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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. march — music
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pit — in a race
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. degree — from a university
  7. present — the time now
  8. cap — of ice
  9. march — the month
  10. degree — an amount
  11. degree — temperature
  12. present — a gift
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a hole
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. march — the month
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — a break
  22. present — there
  23. cap — a lid
  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