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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 120 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. band — a ring
  3. drill — a practice
  4. last — finally
  5. stem — to come from
  6. suit — clothes
  7. plane — a tool
  8. face — to confront
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. drill — army training
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. drill — the tool
  13. last — final
  14. band — a music group
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. face — part of the head
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. face — to point toward
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. suit — in cards
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. band — a rubber band

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