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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. last — final
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bear — the animal
  5. can — to be able to
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. charge — in control
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. can — a tin
  12. charge — a price
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lean — thin
  15. last — to go on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. charge — electricity
  19. can — a tin
  20. last — finally
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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