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

Word bank: kid · cabinet · bay · rest · last · content · bear · wake

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. last — to go on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. content — the amount
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — finally
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. last — final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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