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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. can — a tin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. can — to be able to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. march — music
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. last — finally
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — for betting
  21. plane — a tool
  22. march — the month
  23. last — final
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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