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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. last — to go on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rule — a law
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wound — an injury
  15. foot — a measure
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. last — final
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. last — finally
  24. rule — government

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