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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. last — finally
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a music group
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. last — to go on
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. swing — music
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. last — final
  24. band — a ring

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