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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. toast — bread
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — finally
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — a box
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — a break
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rest — what's left
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. last — final
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. chair — a leader

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