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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 124 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. present — the time now
  4. lean — to bend
  5. rest — what's left
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. last — final
  9. shower — rain
  10. cue — a hint
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. drill — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. present — there
  15. cue — for pool
  16. present — a gift
  17. lean — thin
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — to go on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. shower — to wash

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