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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — a thing
  3. rest — what's left
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — to protest
  6. suit — in cards
  7. spring — the season
  8. rest — a break
  9. club — for golf
  10. suit — clothes
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. object — an aim
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — to fit
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — a trail

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