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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — finally
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — to go on
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — a break
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. present — the time now
  14. rest — what's left
  15. present — a gift
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fall — the season
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — final
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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