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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. last — to go on
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — final
  8. rock — a stone
  9. cap — of ice
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rash — a series
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rush — hurry
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. suit — clothes
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. last — finally

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