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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — final
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. present — there
  13. rock — a stone
  14. last — to go on
  15. present — a gift
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — a hole
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bat — the animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. rock — music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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