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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — a stone
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. branch — a division
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — the time now
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. staff — a stick
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. present — a gift
  13. swing — in golf
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — there
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rock — 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