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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. march — the month
  6. cell — in biology
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cell — a phone
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. march — the month
  13. last — finally
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kid — child
  16. march — music
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. last — final

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