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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. last — to go on
  6. shower — rain
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rest — a break
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. kick — in football
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. last — finally
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rest — what's left
  24. last — final

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