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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. firm — a company
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. cap — a hat
  6. foot — a measure
  7. drill — a practice
  8. dip — to sink
  9. staff — employees
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. staff — employees
  12. firm — decided
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. firm — steady
  16. drill — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — to go on
  20. drill — army training
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. staff — a stick

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