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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. season — of the year
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — in football
  13. last — finally
  14. race — a contest
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. season — in sport
  17. last — to go on
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — final
  23. craft — boats
  24. race — humankind

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