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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 120 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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. plane — a tool
  9. last — finally
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rash — a series
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. rest — a break
  20. staff — employees
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rest — what's left

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