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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. craft — boats
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kid — child
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kick — in football
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — a trail
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rest — a break
  17. drill — a practice
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. track — a song
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a skill
  22. track — a path
  23. drill — army training
  24. track — to keep track

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