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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. object — to protest
  3. date — the fruit
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. object — an aim
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — what's left
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. object — a thing
  21. rest — a break
  22. season — in sport
  23. rush — hurry
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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