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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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. last — final
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rest — a break
  12. file — a line of people
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. stand — to bear
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. last — finally
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. file — a document
  23. spell — magic
  24. bat — the animal

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