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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. rock — music
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. face — to point toward
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rest — what's left
  9. sharp — clever
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. deal — to handle
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spring — of water
  15. ground — a position
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rock — a stone
  19. face — to confront
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. sharp — exactly
  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