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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. plane — a tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. last — to go on
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wake — a trail
  13. last — final
  14. suit — to fit
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — finally
  17. suit — in cards
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mark — a trace
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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