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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: mark · rest · ball · rock · fan · cold · straw · bay

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rock — music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rest — a break
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. straw — a straw man

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