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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — magic
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. firm — a company
  14. fine — high quality
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spell — letters
  17. firm — steady
  18. fine — all right
  19. date — the fruit
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — decided

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