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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rest — a break
  4. court — of a king
  5. snap — to click
  6. court — of law
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. court — for sport
  11. spell — a short time
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spell — magic
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. spell — letters
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. saw — the tool

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