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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — all right
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. last — final
  11. last — finally
  12. fine — high quality
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. clip — a video
  20. last — to go on
  21. wake — a trail
  22. clip — for paper
  23. mug — a face
  24. wake — before a funeral

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