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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. lean — thin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. land — ground
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rest — a break
  15. lean — to bend
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — to come down
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. land — a country
  23. bark — to shout
  24. cue — for pool

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