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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — to grow
  6. charge — a price
  7. spell — letters
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mark — a grade
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. spell — magic
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a trace

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