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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — a company
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rest — what's left
  11. firm — steady
  12. spring — of water
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rest — a break
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. pit — in a race
  24. can — to be able to

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