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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — a break
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. march — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kick — in football
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. march — the month
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. content — the amount
  22. squash — the sport
  23. march — the month
  24. arm — a part of something

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