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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. last — finally
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — final
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a great time
  15. suit — to fit
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — to grow
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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