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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mug — a face
  4. last — final
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — to go on
  7. race — a contest
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. band — a ring
  10. fine — all right
  11. key — in music
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mug — a cup
  15. race — humankind
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — the most important part
  19. last — finally
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. race — the arms race
  23. band — a music group
  24. mug — to rob

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