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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. march — music
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tear — to rip
  8. net — for catching
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. march — the month
  14. band — a ring
  15. net — in sport
  16. last — finally
  17. net — after costs
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tear — from crying
  22. firm — steady
  23. band — a music group
  24. march — the month

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