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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. key — in music
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. sharp — clever
  7. content — happy
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. last — finally
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. content — the amount
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — for a lock
  20. squash — to crush
  21. last — final
  22. bore — to tire
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. sharp — exactly

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