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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. last — final
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — in sport
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. rock — music
  20. mark — a trace
  21. season — of the year
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. leaves — of a tree

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