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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 120 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — a trail
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — for money
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. march — the month
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. cap — a hat
  20. swing — music
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — a weight
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bank — of a river

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