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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. pit — a hole
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ball — a great time
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — what's left
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — employees
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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