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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — happy
  4. staff — employees
  5. shower — to wash
  6. content — the amount
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rest — a break
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rest — what's left
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. staff — a stick
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rule — a law
  18. shower — rain
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. staff — employees
  21. rule — government
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. plane — in geometry

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