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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. field — farmland
  3. cap — a hat
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. last — finally
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — of ice
  10. drill — a practice
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. field — for sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. field — a subject
  17. drill — army training
  18. last — final
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — a break
  24. drill — the tool

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