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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. charge — a price
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hand — help
  8. charge — electricity
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. charge — in control
  16. last — finally
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. saw — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — in cards
  23. toast — bread
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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