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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fall — the season
  3. last — to go on
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chest — a box
  6. tube — a container
  7. chest — of your body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — what's left
  16. last — final
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — a break
  24. tube — the underground

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