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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. object — an aim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. last — final
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. object — a thing
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. object — to protest
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — clever
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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