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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. last — to go on
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rest — a break
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. last — final
  18. rest — what's left
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mine — for digging
  21. lie — to recline
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. racket — a loud noise

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