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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — a partner
  5. last — finally
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a tool
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a line of people
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. roll — a cake
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a friend
  18. last — final
  19. roll — a list
  20. last — to go on
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. roll — on a roll

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