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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — a thing
  5. vault — a safe
  6. root — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. last — final
  10. bound — tied together
  11. last — finally
  12. root — the cause
  13. bat — the animal
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — to protest
  17. bound — certain
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. root — of a word

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