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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mine — for digging
  4. last — final
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. firm — steady
  10. suit — to fit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — decided
  14. fall — to drop
  15. suit — in cards
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fall — to drop
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. last — to go on
  23. mark — a trace
  24. firm — a company

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