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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. roll — a cake
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rest — a break
  7. roll — a list
  8. game — a match
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. suit — clothes
  12. band — a music group
  13. game — wild animals
  14. current — happening now
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. current — of water
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — on a roll

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