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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — a position
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ground — crushed
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — in sport
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. season — of the year
  18. suit — clothes
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — for light
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ground — the earth

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