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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — the season
  6. cold — not warm
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fine — all right
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rest — what's left
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — of water
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — a coil
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hide — animal skin

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