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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — finally
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — high quality
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. rest — a break
  9. rush — hurry
  10. saw — the tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rest — what's left
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rest — what's left
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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