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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. last — to go on
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — to sink
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. lean — thin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ball — a great time
  24. snap — to click

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