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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. capital — money
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. squash — the sport
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rest — a break
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chair — a leader
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rest — what's left
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. capital — a city
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mouse — the animal

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