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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. last — finally
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. drill — the tool
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. drill — army training
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — a practice
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bear — the animal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. club — for dancing

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