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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. last — finally
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. craft — boats
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. drill — a practice
  11. lie — to recline
  12. drill — army training
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. last — final
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. perch — the fish

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