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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. last — to go on
  4. hand — help
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. firm — steady
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — a company
  12. last — final
  13. last — finally
  14. track — a path
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. firm — decided
  20. dip — to sink
  21. roll — a cake
  22. track — to keep track
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. roll — a list

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