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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ground — a position
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. roll — a list
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. roll — a cake
  9. last — finally
  10. suit — in cards
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — decided
  13. ground — the earth
  14. last — to go on
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pass — a permit
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. roll — on a roll

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