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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — a trail
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. degree — temperature
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. degree — an amount
  11. content — happy
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. content — the amount
  14. bound — certain
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — a publisher
  17. game — wild animals
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rest — a break
  20. game — a match
  21. degree — from a university
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — to push
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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