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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — music
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pop — soda
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rest — what's left
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lie — to recline
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. lean — thin
  20. pop — to visit
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — all right

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