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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. last — to go on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fine — all right
  6. branch — a division
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. last — final
  24. bear — the animal

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