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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. last — final
  16. game — a match
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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