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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — the month
  7. can — to be able to
  8. shower — to wash
  9. can — a tin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. ground — a position
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — to crush
  15. march — the month
  16. shower — rain
  17. bear — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. march — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bear — the animal

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