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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — a thing
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rest — a break
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. swing — music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — a hint
  16. object — to protest
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. object — an aim
  19. swing — to play on
  20. kid — child
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rush — hurry

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