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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — a path
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — in cards
  9. content — happy
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. content — the amount
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. toast — bread
  16. track — a song
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. squash — to crush
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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