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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. row — a line
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rest — a break
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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