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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. firm — a company
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. race — a contest
  8. clip — to cut
  9. firm — steady
  10. last — final
  11. mug — a face
  12. firm — decided
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. clip — for paper
  15. race — humankind
  16. last — finally
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — the arms race
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. clip — a video
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. prune — to trim

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