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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 116 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. last — final
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. shower — rain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. last — finally
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bowl — a football final

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