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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. can — a tin
  3. bound — certain
  4. rest — a break
  5. can — to be able to
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. cold — an illness
  9. shower — rain
  10. hand — in cards
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — to wash
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cold — not warm
  22. hand — help
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. can — a tin

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