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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. last — finally
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. firm — steady
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — to go on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — a company
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. firm — decided
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. can — to be able to
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. current — electric
  23. shower — to wash
  24. current — happening now

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