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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. track — to keep track
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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