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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — finally
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. row — to paddle
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. land — to come down
  11. row — a line
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — a country
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — ground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tube — a container
  22. last — final
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. nail — for a hammer

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