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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rash — hasty
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — in control
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. perch — the fish
  13. last — final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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