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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 116 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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. track — to keep track
  5. key — for a lock
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. track — a path
  11. pop — music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — in music
  17. kick — in football
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — a break
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. key — the most important part
  22. track — a song
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pop — soda

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