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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rule — a law
  4. net — for catching
  5. season — of the year
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rule — government
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. net — in sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. season — in sport
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — a break
  24. cabinet — ministers

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