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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. rest — a break
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bat — the animal
  7. court — for sport
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. court — of a king
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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