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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — in sport
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. foot — a measure
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hand — help
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. season — of the year
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. date — the fruit
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. branch — a division
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — to recline
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — on the calendar

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