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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. last — finally
  5. cue — a hint
  6. drill — army training
  7. last — to go on
  8. firm — steady
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cue — for pool
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — final

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