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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. last — to go on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — a hat
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mate — a friend
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. staff — employees
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ground — a position
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — finally
  17. mate — to breed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ground — the earth
  20. cap — of ice
  21. tube — the underground
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. last — final

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