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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cell — in biology
  14. last — finally
  15. last — to go on
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bulb — for light

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