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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bass — low music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. last — finally
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. board — a committee
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. face — part of the head
  14. tear — to rip
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. board — to get on
  18. bass — the fish
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bass — the instrument

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