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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rule — a law
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — a skill
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rule — government
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — finally
  18. fine — all right
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. tear — to rip
  21. last — final
  22. fine — high quality
  23. craft — boats
  24. rule — to rule out

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