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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. suit — to fit
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tear — to rip
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. file — a document
  24. chair — a leader

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