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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rash — a series
  3. can — a tin
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. drill — army training
  7. stock — goods
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. can — a tin
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stock — shares
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. leaves — to go away

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