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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pass — a permit
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. last — to go on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — to paddle
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — final
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — music
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. row — a line
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. last — finally

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