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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. game — wild animals
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. last — final
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — hurry
  9. last — finally
  10. game — a match
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rest — a break
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. last — to go on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rest — what's left

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