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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  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. last — to go on
  2. fine — high quality
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bass — the fish
  7. capital — money
  8. mark — a trace
  9. last — finally
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. suit — in cards
  13. fine — all right
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. last — final
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. capital — a city
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bass — low music
  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