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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to click
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fall — the season
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rest — a break
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wake — a trail
  16. chest — a box
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fall — to drop
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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