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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. can — a tin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. last — to go on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. march — the month
  12. rest — what's left
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — to fit
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. last — final

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