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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. suit — clothes
  6. rock — a stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. last — finally
  9. wind — moving air
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. face — part of the head
  12. cold — an illness
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. last — final
  16. face — to point toward
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rock — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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