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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 116 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — an aim
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cold — not warm
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — a thing
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. staff — a stick
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cold — an illness
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cap — of ice
  18. object — to protest
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fine — all right
  22. rest — a break
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fine — high quality

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