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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. last — to go on
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. last — finally
  6. shower — rain
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. row — a line
  12. drill — the tool
  13. row — to paddle
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. last — final
  16. shower — to wash
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. drill — army training
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  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