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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. spring — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. last — finally
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. firm — steady
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — a coil
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — decided
  14. deal — to handle
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a signal
  18. firm — a company
  19. drill — army training
  20. last — final
  21. cue — a hint
  22. spring — of water
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fall — to drop

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