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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to click
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. court — for sport
  8. rock — music
  9. rest — a break
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lie — to recline
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. present — the time now
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. present — a gift
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. rest — what's left
  23. court — of a king
  24. pound — a weight

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