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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 116 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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — final
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. last — finally
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. craft — boats
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. last — to go on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cold — an illness
  24. ruler — a monarch

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