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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. last — final
  3. spring — a coil
  4. charge — a price
  5. rest — what's left
  6. last — to go on
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. swing — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — electricity
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. swing — in golf
  18. rest — a break
  19. swing — to play on
  20. charge — in control
  21. spring — the season
  22. rock — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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