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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. rest — a break
  5. band — a ring
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pit — a hole
  11. suit — clothes
  12. firm — steady
  13. ball — a dance
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wind — moving air
  22. band — a music group
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. last — finally

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