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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. rash — a series
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. pit — in a race
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. last — final
  15. fork — in a road
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. roll — a list
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — to recline
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. pit — a hole

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