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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 116 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fine — all right
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rash — a series
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — a container
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. last — final
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. last — to go on

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