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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. suit — clothes
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. band — a music group
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. march — the month
  11. ball — a great time
  12. last — final
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. ball — a dance
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — hurry
  22. band — a ring
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. last — finally

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