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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cue — a signal
  3. last — final
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — hasty
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stand — to bear
  14. plane — a tool
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cue — a hint
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — to go on
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

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