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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. firm — steady
  3. fork — in a road
  4. firm — decided
  5. pop — music
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. spring — the season
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spring — of water
  11. last — to go on
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — a company
  15. suit — in cards
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — soda
  21. last — finally
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. spring — a coil

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