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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. tear — from crying
  4. charge — electricity
  5. land — ground
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. land — to come down
  8. object — to protest
  9. tear — from crying
  10. last — finally
  11. ground — a position
  12. land — a country
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. ground — crushed
  15. object — an aim
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. charge — a price
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. object — a thing
  20. charge — in control
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. last — to go on

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