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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. firm — decided
  3. rush — hurry
  4. firm — a company
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. last — finally
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. firm — steady
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. last — final
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. last — to go on

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