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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. last — final
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wake — a trail
  9. last — finally
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. board — a committee
  20. cell — in biology
  21. key — in music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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