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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — a break
  9. chest — of your body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chest — a box
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fall — the season
  19. cap — a hat
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bowl — to roll

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