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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. charge — a price
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lie — to recline
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — in a road
  18. perch — the fish
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — finally
  21. firm — decided
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. charge — in control
  24. last — to go on

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