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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. chair — a leader
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. firm — a company
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. clip — a video
  13. firm — decided
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — finally
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — steady
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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