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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — a permit
  5. object — to protest
  6. last — final
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pop — music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. season — of the year
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pop — to visit
  14. object — a thing
  15. pop — soda
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. last — to go on
  18. firm — decided
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. firm — steady
  21. object — an aim
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — finally
  24. season — in sport

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