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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bulb — for light
  3. firm — decided
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. band — a ring
  6. last — to go on
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spell — letters
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. last — finally
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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