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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bat — the animal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. staff — employees
  6. cap — of ice
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cap — a lid
  13. staff — employees
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cap — a hat
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. nail — on a finger

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