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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 120 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. key — for a lock
  9. last — finally
  10. mark — a trace
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. key — in music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. face — to point toward
  17. craft — a skill
  18. face — to confront
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. face — part of the head
  22. can — to be able to
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — boats

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