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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a lid
  3. last — to go on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hand — help
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. last — final
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. last — finally
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. toast — bread
  24. pass — a permit

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