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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. 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. bear — the animal
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. last — to go on
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. date — the fruit
  9. sharp — clever
  10. last — finally
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. hand — help
  17. bear — the animal
  18. 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