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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. last — finally
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. scale — size or range
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. scale — in music
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. swing — to play on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. shower — to wash
  16. swing — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. last — final
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — hurry
  22. shower — rain
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. ruler — for measuring

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