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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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. clip — to cut
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lean — thin
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. row — a line
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mate — a friend
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. hand — in cards
  19. row — to paddle
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mate — a partner
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. clip — a video
  24. hand — help

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