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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rule — a law
  3. cell — a phone
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. drill — the tool
  10. field — a subject
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — army training
  13. rule — government
  14. cell — in biology
  15. board — to get on
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. field — farmland
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — a committee
  21. kick — in football
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. field — for sport

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