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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — a break
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — a trail
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tear — from crying
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. game — a match
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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