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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rash — hasty
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. land — a country
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — to come down
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. season — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. craft — boats
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. land — ground
  21. season — of the year
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. spell — letters
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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