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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bound — certain
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to click
  5. mate — a partner
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — final
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rule — government
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ground — a position
  13. bound — obliged
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — the earth
  16. last — to go on
  17. mate — to breed
  18. lie — to recline
  19. rule — a law
  20. last — finally
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rest — a break
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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