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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. club — for golf
  4. kick — in football
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — for dancing
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. content — the amount
  9. object — to protest
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — to grow
  12. object — an aim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rest — what's left
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. club — a group
  24. rest — a break

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