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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. last — final
  8. drill — army training
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — finally
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bound — certain
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bound — tied together
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cap — of ice
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — obliged

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