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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rock — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. squash — the sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. squash — to crush
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pitcher — a jug

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