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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — of water
  3. hand — help
  4. last — final
  5. scale — size or range
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. present — there
  8. current — happening now
  9. last — finally
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pit — a hole
  18. current — electric
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hand — part of the body

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