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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bound — tied together
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a ring
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. last — to go on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. bound — certain
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. dip — to sink
  21. band — a music group
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. last — finally

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