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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rest — a break
  6. pop — to visit
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. prune — to trim
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — in football
  20. last — final
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. last — finally
  24. bowl — to roll

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