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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · pit · land · game · dip · rest · leaves · lash

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rest — a break
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. land — ground
  6. dip — to sink
  7. land — a country
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. staff — a stick
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pit — a hole
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. land — to come down
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — what's left

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