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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — low music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — to tire
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — finally
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. last — final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — a video
  24. foot — a measure

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