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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · rest · leaves · game · bear · current · last · club

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. last — final
  3. game — wild animals
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. last — to go on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bear — the animal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — a group
  15. current — of water
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — electric
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — a measure
  22. last — finally
  23. club — for golf
  24. current — happening now

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