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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a friend
  5. current — of water
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. last — final
  9. object — an aim
  10. face — to point toward
  11. net — for catching
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. face — to confront
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — part of the head
  17. snap — to click
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — in sport
  20. current — electric
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. current — happening now
  24. net — after costs

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