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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rest — a break
  5. last — finally
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hand — help
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — to go on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. stock — goods
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. jam — a tight spot

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