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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. band — a ring
  6. last — finally
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. toast — bread
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. last — to go on
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. last — final
  22. ball — a great time
  23. march — music
  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