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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chair — a leader
  5. spring — a coil
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. spring — the season
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — of water
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rest — a break
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rush — hurry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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