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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. last — finally
  6. rush — hurry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — final
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. band — a music group
  19. last — to go on
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a ring
  24. rush — to hurry

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