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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. object — to protest
  12. cap — a lid
  13. object — a thing
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — an aim
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — in football
  20. rest — a break
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cap — of ice

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