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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rash — hasty
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rash — a series
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. snap — to click
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bulb — for light
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. foot — the bottom

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