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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stand — to bear
  14. clip — a video
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. clip — for paper
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tube — a container
  20. last — final
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. clip — to cut

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