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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. chest — a box
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chest — of your body
  5. key — the most important part
  6. last — finally
  7. chest — of your body
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — for a lock
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — a company
  14. capital — money
  15. last — final
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — in music
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — steady
  24. bowl — to roll

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