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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. 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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. craft — boats
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — a break
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. roll — a cake
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. clip — a video
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — to confront
  15. clip — for paper
  16. roll — a list
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — part of the head
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. face — to point toward
  24. clip — to cut

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