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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. shower — rain
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mate — to breed
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. degree — an amount
  13. pit — in a race
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — a break
  16. degree — from a university
  17. pit — a hole
  18. shower — to wash
  19. band — a ring
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mate — a partner
  22. band — a music group
  23. mate — a friend
  24. degree — temperature

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