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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — to bear
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — of law
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mug — a face
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. court — of a king
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rest — a break
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mug — to rob

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