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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fine — all right
  5. craft — boats
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mate — a friend
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mate — a partner
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fine — high quality
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mate — to breed

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