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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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 — to go on
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — finally
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. march — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. scale — size or range
  18. wax — to grow
  19. march — the month
  20. last — final
  21. scale — in music
  22. march — the month
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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