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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. craft — boats
  3. game — a match
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — the month
  6. cell — in biology
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. march — music
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. content — the amount
  13. rest — a break
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cell — a phone
  23. content — happy
  24. kick — in football

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