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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — ground
  3. rest — what's left
  4. foot — a measure
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. vault — a safe
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rest — a break
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — child
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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