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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — what's left
  4. game — a match
  5. last — to go on
  6. kick — in football
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — to keep track
  11. last — final
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. drill — a practice
  16. key — in music
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. track — a song
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. game — wild animals

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