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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — moving air
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. suit — to fit
  12. tube — a container
  13. suit — in cards
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. tube — the underground

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