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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. root — of a word
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. drill — the tool
  14. root — the cause
  15. last — finally
  16. drill — a practice
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. last — final
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. root — of a plant
  23. game — a match
  24. drill — army training

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