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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. last — finally
  3. wind — moving air
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rash — a series
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. last — to go on
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wind — moving air
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. last — final
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. suit — clothes

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