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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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 — a monarch
  2. charge — in control
  3. rush — hurry
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — finally
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. last — final
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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