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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — a break
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. band — a music group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. court — for sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. court — of a king
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fall — the season
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rush — hurry
  17. root — of a word
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. court — of law
  24. lash — an eyelash

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