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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. field — a subject
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. object — to protest
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. object — an aim
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rest — a break
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rush — hurry
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. key — the most important part
  20. field — for sport
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — a thing
  24. fork — to eat with

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