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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. tube — the underground
  4. drill — army training
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. track — a song
  9. vault — a safe
  10. current — electric
  11. drill — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — a path
  14. current — of water
  15. foot — a measure
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. land — to come down
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. drill — a practice
  20. track — to keep track
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. tube — a container

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