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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 120 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I would like to have 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. rash — on the skin
  3. bore — to tire
  4. race — the arms race
  5. scale — in music
  6. capital — money
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. capital — a city
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. race — a contest
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — a series
  15. bore — to drill
  16. race — humankind
  17. saw — the tool
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rest — a break

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