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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mate — to breed
  3. snap — to click
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — a division
  12. object — to protest
  13. season — in sport
  14. rest — a break
  15. season — of the year
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rest — what's left
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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