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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.

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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — finally
  3. spell — a short time
  4. object — an aim
  5. rest — a break
  6. object — to protest
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — to shout
  11. season — of the year
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. last — final
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — a thing
  21. season — in sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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