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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. wake — a trail
  5. spell — letters
  6. firm — a company
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rest — a break
  13. kid — child
  14. rest — what's left
  15. last — to go on
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spell — magic
  18. last — finally
  19. kid — to tease
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rest — what's left
  22. spell — a short time
  23. firm — steady
  24. last — final

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