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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. firm — steady
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. firm — a company
  11. saw — the tool
  12. firm — decided
  13. date — the fruit
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. last — final
  20. pop — soda
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. snap — to click
  24. date — on the calendar

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