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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. last — to go on
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mine — for digging
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fan — to cool the air

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