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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. band — a music group
  3. firm — steady
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. last — to go on
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. last — finally
  8. clip — to cut
  9. band — a ring
  10. rest — a break
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. firm — a company
  15. rest — what's left
  16. club — a group
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. club — for golf
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. clip — a video
  21. firm — decided
  22. clip — for paper
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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