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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a trace
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wake — a trail
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. shower — rain
  14. scale — in music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. mark — a grade
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. deal — to handle
  24. rest — a break

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