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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pound — a weight
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. clip — for paper
  8. mark — a grade
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — to be able to
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. can — a tin
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. last — final
  24. can — a tin

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