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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — moving air
  4. content — the amount
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. last — finally
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. last — final
  18. stand — to bear
  19. rest — a break
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. content — happy
  24. stand — for spectators

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