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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 120 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. file — a line of people
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rest — a break
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. last — finally
  12. file — a document
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. file — a tool
  20. spell — letters
  21. stock — goods
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  24. spell — magic

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