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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. rest — a break
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — the most important part
  8. last — finally
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cell — a phone
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — obliged
  16. key — in music
  17. bound — certain
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bass — low music
  21. last — to go on
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. kick — in football
  24. cell — in biology

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