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

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rest — what's left
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. last — finally
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. firm — decided
  9. chest — of your body
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chair — a leader
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. last — to go on
  17. rest — what's left
  18. last — final
  19. rest — a break
  20. game — wild animals
  21. chest — a box
  22. firm — a company
  23. chest — of your body
  24. firm — steady

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