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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. last — finally
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. march — music
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — for sport
  16. march — the month
  17. kid — child
  18. march — the month
  19. court — of a king
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. last — to go on
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. kid — to tease

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