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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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Word bank
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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: pass · squash · date · last · chest · court · firm · lie

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. court — of a king
  3. pass — a permit
  4. court — of law
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. firm — decided
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — for sport
  16. last — final
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — finally
  19. firm — steady
  20. last — to go on
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lie — an untruth

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