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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — to protest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — to go on
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — a cup
  7. rest — what's left
  8. row — a line
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. foot — a measure
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. last — final
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mug — to rob
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. last — finally
  21. rest — a break
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mug — a face
  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