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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spring — of water
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. game — a match
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. spring — the season
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. game — wild animals
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rest — a break
  23. pop — to visit
  24. game — a kind of play

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