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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mug — a face
  4. last — finally
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pop — soda
  14. last — to go on
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rule — a law
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. rest — a break
  19. pop — music
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pit — a hole
  24. lash — to lash out

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