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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rule — a law
  6. rest — a break
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fine — all right
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pound — a weight
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rest — what's left
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. snap — to click
  23. fine — high quality
  24. rule — government

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