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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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. bulb — of a plant
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bat — the animal
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rest — a break
  16. last — to go on
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. vault — a safe
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cap — a lid

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