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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rash — hasty
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. key — for a lock
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — a series
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. last — to go on
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. mate — to breed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — finally
  17. key — in music
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mate — a partner
  23. key — the most important part
  24. toast — the most admired

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