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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hand — help
  7. toast — bread
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. last — final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. last — finally
  13. firm — decided
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rest — a break
  17. firm — a company
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. firm — steady
  22. current — happening now
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — to trim

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