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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. club — for golf
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — in a road
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. land — a country
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rock — music
  17. land — ground
  18. last — finally
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. land — to come down
  21. cap — of ice
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. club — a group
  24. cap — a hat

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