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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a line of people
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — in control
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spell — a short time
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — a price
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. spell — magic
  14. file — a tool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. file — a document
  18. charge — electricity
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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