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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — a match
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chest — a box
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — a kind of play

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