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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pop — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. rule — a law
  16. rash — a series
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — government
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — soda
  24. plane — an aircraft

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