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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. last — to go on
  3. object — an aim
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. last — final
  6. foot — a measure
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. last — finally
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. prune — to trim
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — a thing
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bass — low music
  21. pass — a permit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. foot — the bottom

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