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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. object — an aim
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. object — a thing
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. last — final
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. last — finally
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — a tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. object — to protest

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