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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. spell — letters
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — government
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rule — a law
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rest — a break
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mate — a partner
  17. spell — magic
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stem — to come from
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — a short time
  24. suit — to fit

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