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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. court — of a king
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — happy
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — a weight
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. prune — to trim
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. foot — a measure

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