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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — there
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — a container
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — size or range
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. scale — in music
  15. band — a ring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mate — to breed
  19. present — the time now
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. present — a gift
  24. band — a music group

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