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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 120 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: tear · last · pop · stand · rule · nail · bay · field

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. field — a subject
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. field — for sport
  11. tear — to rip
  12. last — final
  13. pop — music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pop — soda
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pop — to visit
  20. field — farmland
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rule — a law
  23. stand — to bear
  24. rule — government

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