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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. last — to go on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — to come down
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. last — finally
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. land — a country
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. fine — all right
  19. land — ground
  20. craft — boats
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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