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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. march — music
  4. rash — a series
  5. rest — a break
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. face — to confront
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. march — the month
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rash — hasty
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hand — help
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rest — what's left

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