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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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. bulb — for light
  4. cell — a phone
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. race — humankind
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — crushed
  12. scale — size or range
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. staff — employees
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. race — a contest
  17. rest — a break
  18. ground — the earth
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. craft — a skill
  22. scale — in music
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — a position

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