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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cue — a hint
  12. last — finally
  13. dip — to sink
  14. cue — a signal
  15. face — to point toward
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to confront
  18. cold — an illness
  19. last — final
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. object — to protest
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. object — an aim

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