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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. swing — to play on
  4. court — for sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. last — final
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — of law
  13. sharp — clever
  14. court — of a king
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. swing — music
  20. last — finally
  21. swing — in golf
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. nail — for a hammer

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