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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — a break
  4. rash — a series
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rest — what's left
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rash — hasty
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bore — to tire
  24. date — on the calendar

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