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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 water is too ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cold — not warm
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cold — an illness
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — finally
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fine — high quality
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. fine — all right

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