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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rest — what's left
  4. swing — in golf
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. swing — music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pitcher — a jug

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