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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pass — a permit
  3. root — the cause
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. court — of law
  6. bat — the animal
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. rest — a break
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. press — to push
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rest — what's left
  24. arm — part of the body

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