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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kick — in football
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — what's left
  8. last — final
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rest — a break
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fine — all right
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. lie — to recline

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