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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. stand — to bear
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — to go on
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. content — the amount
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rash — hasty
  16. last — finally
  17. content — happy
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rash — a series
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. safe — out of danger

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