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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. last — finally
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — to trim
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. spell — letters
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. prune — to trim

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