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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. firm — a company
  4. saw — the tool
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rest — what's left
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mine — for digging
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. firm — decided
  13. last — final
  14. lie — to recline
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — steady
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — finally
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. last — to go on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lie — an untruth

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