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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. kick — in football
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cap — a hat
  9. craft — boats
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rest — a break
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bound — certain
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stand — on your feet

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