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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — a container
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — a tin
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wake — a trail
  7. last — finally
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. last — final
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wind — moving air
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. calf — of the leg

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