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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. pound — a weight
  8. land — a country
  9. key — the most important part
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. key — in music
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wake — a trail
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rest — a break
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pound — to hit hard

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