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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. chest — of your body
  3. last — finally
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. last — to go on
  17. spell — letters
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mark — a grade
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — magic
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. spell — a short time

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