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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. last — to go on
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kid — child
  6. land — to come down
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. rest — a break
  9. last — finally
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. land — a country
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. last — final
  24. arm — a part of something

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