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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — in football
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bound — certain
  6. stock — goods
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stand — to bear
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rest — a break
  23. swing — music
  24. stock — shares

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