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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bound — tied together
  3. last — to go on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bound — obliged
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spring — a coil
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spring — the season
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spring — of water
  17. swing — to play on
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — to sink
  20. bound — certain
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. swing — music
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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