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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · last · nail · pit · bay · face · season · rest

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. pit — in a race
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. face — to point toward
  7. season — of the year
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. season — in sport
  10. rest — a break
  11. face — part of the head
  12. last — finally
  13. fall — to drop
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — to confront
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fall — to drop
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — to go on
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  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