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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — to crush
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. date — the fruit
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — the animal

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