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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — hurry
  3. roll — a list
  4. lean — to bend
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — the time now
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — thin
  10. key — in music
  11. rash — hasty
  12. roll — a cake
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. present — there
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rash — a series
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — a gift
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. key — for a lock

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