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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 116 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mark — a grade
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. mark — a trace
  21. dip — to sink
  22. pitch — completely
  23. rest — a break
  24. march — 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