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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — soda
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. last — to go on
  8. file — a document
  9. pop — to visit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. last — final
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — a break
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. file — a tool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. press — to push
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. last — finally

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