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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. last — to go on
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. firm — decided
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. firm — a company
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. last — finally
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. last — final
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. firm — steady
  24. toast — bread

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