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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. mug — a face
  3. rash — a series
  4. rest — a break
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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