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

Word bank: rest · bear · last · object · cold · stand · bowl · foot

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cold — an illness
  3. object — to protest
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rest — what's left
  6. object — an aim
  7. last — to go on
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — a thing
  14. cold — not warm
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. foot — a measure
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rest — a break

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