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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. can — to be able to
  3. last — final
  4. firm — steady
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — a company
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. prune — to trim
  14. stand — to bear
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. toast — bread
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fork — in a road
  23. last — to go on
  24. firm — decided

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