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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bound — tied together
  6. land — to come down
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — ground
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. land — a country
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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