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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. chair — a leader
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — decided
  7. last — finally
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. kick — in football
  17. cue — a signal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pound — a weight
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. cue — a hint

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