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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · kid · stand · object · cap · ruler

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — to tease
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. object — to protest
  5. kid — child
  6. object — an aim
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — a hat
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — a break
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. object — a thing

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