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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 116 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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. last — to go on
  4. object — to protest
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bat — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. season — in sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — of the year
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. last — final
  19. fine — all right
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. kick — in football

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