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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. tear — from crying
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — finally
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — ground
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. present — there
  13. pass — a permit
  14. foot — a measure
  15. current — of water
  16. land — a country
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tear — to rip
  19. land — to come down
  20. present — the time now
  21. tear — from crying
  22. current — electric
  23. present — a gift
  24. pass — to succeed

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