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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 116 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. drill — the tool
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. last — finally
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — the season
  9. drill — army training
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mug — to rob
  12. last — final
  13. squash — the sport
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pop — music
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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