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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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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. rest — a break
  4. tear — from crying
  5. last — final
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. board — to get on
  9. last — to go on
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — a committee
  14. kick — in football
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. last — finally
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — to come from

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