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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. swing — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tear — to rip
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. tear — from crying
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. season — in sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. tear — from crying
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. firm — a company
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — of the year
  23. firm — decided
  24. mouse — the animal

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