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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hand — in cards
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bound — obliged
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — tied together
  20. hand — help
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — to grow
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

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