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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. last — final
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — a hint
  7. last — finally
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cue — a signal
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fall — the season
  15. firm — steady
  16. can — a tin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spell — magic
  20. last — to go on
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. firm — a company

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