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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mark — a trace
  9. dip — to sink
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tear — to rip
  23. row — a line
  24. tear — from crying

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