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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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. patient — a sick person
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cap — of ice
  7. hand — in cards
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cue — a signal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — shares
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cue — a hint
  20. hand — help
  21. stock — goods
  22. cap — a lid
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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