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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. net — for catching
  3. tear — to rip
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. saw — the tool
  7. last — final
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. net — after costs
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pop — music
  14. last — to go on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pop — to visit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. pop — soda
  24. net — in sport

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