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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — a phone
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. key — in music
  6. suit — to fit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. rest — a break
  13. key — for a lock
  14. file — a document
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cell — in biology
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. file — a line of people
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. file — a tool

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