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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rest — what's left
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — wild animals
  10. race — humankind
  11. game — a match
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rest — a break
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. race — a contest
  17. bore — to drill
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stand — to bear

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