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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fine — high quality
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rock — a stone
  8. club — for golf
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fine — all right
  11. club — a group
  12. spell — magic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — a short time
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — final
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — a penalty

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