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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — finally
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — to go on
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — to get on
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to click
  14. board — a committee
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. band — a music group
  17. last — final
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. band — a ring
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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