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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. ground — crushed
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lean — to bend
  7. firm — decided
  8. ground — a position
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — certain
  11. plane — a tool
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. last — to go on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. firm — a company
  18. last — finally
  19. bound — obliged
  20. firm — steady
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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