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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 116 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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a path
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. court — of a king
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — for sport
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. track — a song
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. track — to keep track

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