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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.

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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — hurry
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rest — a break
  17. bark — to shout
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rest — what's left

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