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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bound — obliged
  10. wake — a trail
  11. object — to protest
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. land — a country
  18. bark — to shout
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. land — ground
  22. bound — certain
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. land — to come down

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