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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. last — finally
  10. band — a music group
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — to handle
  13. band — a ring
  14. last — final
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wound — an injury
  19. last — to go on
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wake — a trail
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. staff — employees
  24. sharp — exactly

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