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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — rain
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. swing — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. shower — to wash
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — a hole
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — moving air

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