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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 116 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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. last — finally
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. spell — a short time
  17. object — an aim
  18. pound — a weight
  19. last — final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. object — to protest
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — to go on
  24. object — a thing

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