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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.

Make a worksheet

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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468
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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. last — to go on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. last — finally
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. toast — bread
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — final
  24. can — a tin

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