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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — happy
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — a measure
  11. land — to come down
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. last — final
  14. land — ground
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. content — the amount
  18. land — a country
  19. branch — a division
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — finally

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