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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. last — finally
  3. hand — help
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — the animal
  17. scale — size or range
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. scale — in music
  24. last — final

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