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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. fine — all right
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. fine — high quality
  15. swing — music
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chest — a box
  24. rest — a break

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