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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pound — a weight
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kid — to tease
  10. rule — a law
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cap — of ice
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rule — government

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