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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — of ice
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — a friend
  7. club — for golf
  8. cap — a lid
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — a group
  18. rest — a break
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mate — to breed
  23. club — for dancing
  24. stand — to bear

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