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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rest — a break
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. pound — a weight
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rest — what's left
  14. present — the time now
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. bass — the fish
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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