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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. rest — a break
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stem — to come from
  16. club — for golf
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. last — final
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. club — a group
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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