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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. key — for a lock
  3. last — finally
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. key — in music
  7. hand — in cards
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — help
  12. key — the most important part
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. last — final
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — to bear
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. temple — a place of worship

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