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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. last — final
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. can — to be able to
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. last — finally
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. last — to go on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ball — a dance
  23. chair — a leader
  24. safe — out of danger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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