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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. club — a group
  3. object — an aim
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. object — a thing
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mark — a trace
  11. squash — to crush
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. object — to protest
  20. rest — what's left
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — the sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mouse — the animal

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