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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. firm — a company
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. degree — an amount
  9. last — final
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — temperature
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mark — a grade
  16. key — the most important part
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. degree — from a university
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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