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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wake — a trail
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. charge — a price
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rest — a break
  11. rash — a series
  12. degree — from a university
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. charge — electricity
  16. suit — in cards
  17. degree — an amount
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — to fit
  20. degree — temperature
  21. suit — clothes
  22. charge — in control
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. scale — in music

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