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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rest — a break
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. toast — bread
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. prune — to trim
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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