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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. last — finally
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. last — to go on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. last — final
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. kid — child
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hand — help
  16. toast — bread
  17. wake — a trail
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — to tease
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hide — to keep secret

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