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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — a line
  3. fine — all right
  4. object — to protest
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. board — a committee
  14. object — an aim
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. object — a thing
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rest — a break

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