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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. roll — a list
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. last — finally
  4. row — a line
  5. rest — what's left
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. roll — a cake
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. last — final
  19. tube — a container
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rest — what's left
  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