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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. present — a gift
  3. game — a match
  4. rest — a break
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. firm — decided
  9. present — there
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — a company
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — steady
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — to recline
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — the time now
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bark — to shout

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