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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 116 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. craft — a skill
  9. object — a thing
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — a hint
  19. object — an aim
  20. craft — boats
  21. object — to protest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. pass — to spend time

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