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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — there
  4. bat — the animal
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. present — the time now
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ball — a dance
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. present — a gift
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rest — a break

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