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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — in biology
  3. spell — magic
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bound — tied together
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rest — a break
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. spell — letters
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bound — certain
  12. file — a document
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — to handle
  22. file — a tool
  23. stand — to bear
  24. deal — a big deal

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