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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. roll — a cake
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. race — humankind
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. season — in sport
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. roll — a list
  18. suit — clothes
  19. pass — a permit
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ball — a dance
  22. season — of the year
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — to add flavour

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