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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 116 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 water is too ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. firm — a company
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. last — finally
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mug — a face
  15. firm — decided
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — final
  19. firm — steady
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — a trail

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