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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. last — to go on
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. last — final
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — a break
  9. spring — of water
  10. saw — the tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. spring — the season
  16. last — finally
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cold — not warm
  24. rush — hurry

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