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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. present — a gift
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. suit — clothes
  12. present — there
  13. rest — a break
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. tear — to rip
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — the time now
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ball — a dance
  24. suit — in cards

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