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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. net — for catching
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. net — in sport
  8. chest — of your body
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pop — soda
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. season — of the year
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chest — a box
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rest — a break
  23. net — after costs
  24. hide — animal skin

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