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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bank — for money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — finally
  20. staff — employees
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. nail — on a finger

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