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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — final
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. key — in music
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wake — a trail
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. last — finally
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. key — for a lock
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wound — an injury

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