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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 120 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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. key — the most important part
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rest — what's left
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. key — for a lock
  12. row — a line
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. swing — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. key — in music
  21. hand — help
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rock — music

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