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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. last — to go on
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — a series
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rest — a break
  10. last — final
  11. degree — from a university
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — temperature
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rash — hasty
  21. last — finally
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. rest — what's left

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