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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — a break
  5. spell — magic
  6. swing — to play on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. tear — from crying
  9. swing — music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — letters
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. season — of the year
  18. swing — in golf
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rest — what's left

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