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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — a friend
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mate — to breed
  9. season — in sport
  10. last — to go on
  11. hand — help
  12. season — of the year
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pop — music
  15. last — finally
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pop — soda
  18. mate — a partner
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hand — in cards
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pop — to visit
  24. last — final

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