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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. firm — a company
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — decided
  9. last — final
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. firm — steady
  18. wake — a trail
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. staff — employees
  24. rest — a break

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