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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. kid — to tease
  3. spell — magic
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. drill — the tool
  9. spell — letters
  10. drill — army training
  11. fork — in a road
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. kid — child
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. can — to be able to

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