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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. last — to go on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bat — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fall — the season
  11. mate — to breed
  12. key — the most important part
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fall — to drop
  16. board — a committee
  17. last — final
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. key — in music
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mate — a friend
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a partner

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