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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. last — final
  5. suit — clothes
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — decided
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — steady
  11. last — finally
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. suit — in cards
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. game — wild animals

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