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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. last — finally
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. fine — all right
  9. cue — for pool
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — steady
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — in football
  16. cue — a hint
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — a tool
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. cue — a signal
  22. current — electric
  23. fine — a penalty
  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