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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. charge — in control
  3. last — finally
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. fine — all right
  8. pop — music
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pop — to visit
  14. charge — electricity
  15. last — final
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pop — soda
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. calf — a young animal

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