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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — finally
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — size or range
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. capital — a city
  10. last — final
  11. wound — an injury
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. last — to go on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. capital — money
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. scale — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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