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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cold — an illness
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rest — a break
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. cold — not warm
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — for digging
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. racket — for tennis

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