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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rash — hasty
  5. scale — size or range
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. rash — a series
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — in football
  23. scale — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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