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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. race — the arms race
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — of a king
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. pass — a permit
  11. court — of law
  12. race — a contest
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rest — a break
  20. race — humankind
  21. bore — to drill
  22. court — for sport
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pass — to succeed

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