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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. last — final
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. date — the fruit
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ruler — for measuring

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