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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. object — to protest
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — a committee
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — a thing
  13. toast — bread
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. degree — from a university
  18. last — finally
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. sharp — exactly

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