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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cell — in biology
  3. object — an aim
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mate — a friend
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — a phone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — a break
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. object — to protest
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. object — a thing

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