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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — a break
  4. present — a gift
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. firm — decided
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. last — to go on
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — finally
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. firm — a company
  18. present — there
  19. firm — steady
  20. last — final
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — what's left

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