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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: fine · mouse · pass · fork · stick · chest · last · dip

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. fork — to eat with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chest — a box
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — final
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — a permit
  15. fine — all right
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fork — in a road
  20. chest — of your body
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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