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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. cap — of ice
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — a tin
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rest — a break
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rest — what's left
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. track — a song
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bat — the animal
  21. track — a path
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. leaves — lets stay

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