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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hand — help
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cue — a hint
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ground — a position
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rest — a break
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. rash — a series
  24. cue — a signal

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