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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. saw — the tool
  3. last — to go on
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — the fish
  12. last — final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — bread
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ball — a dance
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rush — hurry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. last — finally
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — a thrill

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