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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. band — a music group
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spring — a coil

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