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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 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — of the year
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. last — finally
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — in cards
  8. field — farmland
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — final
  11. bound — tied together
  12. field — for sport
  13. season — in sport
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. field — a subject
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mark — a grade
  20. suit — to fit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bound — certain
  23. kick — in football
  24. mark — a trace

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