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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spell — letters
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spell — magic
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lie — to recline
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rest — what's left
  15. roll — a list
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wake — a trail
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. saw — the tool

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