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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — a break
  7. chest — a box
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. tube — a container
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. track — a song
  16. chest — of your body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rest — what's left
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — music
  22. rash — a series
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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