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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. tear — to rip
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. last — final
  12. last — finally
  13. tear — from crying
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — to tease
  17. last — to go on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chest — of your body
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — the fish
  24. coach — a trainer

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