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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ball — a great time
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — to fit
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bound — certain
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — thin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rest — a break
  17. suit — clothes
  18. ball — a dance
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. snap — to click
  21. lean — to bend
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ball — a round shape

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