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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. charge — a price
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — in sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. craft — boats
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitch — completely
  18. craft — a skill
  19. charge — in control
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to drill
  22. last — to go on
  23. charge — electricity
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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