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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. season — of the year
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pit — a hole
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bank — for money
  15. season — in sport
  16. race — a contest
  17. last — final
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — to sink
  24. last — finally

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