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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 sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. charge — electricity
  8. degree — temperature
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. toast — bread
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fall — the season
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. charge — a price
  21. bore — to drill
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — lets stay

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