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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 124 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. rest — a break
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. firm — decided
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to click
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — finally
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — what's left
  22. firm — a company
  23. rest — what's left
  24. leaves — of a tree

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