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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. last — to go on
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cue — for pool
  7. present — there
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. last — final
  12. present — a gift
  13. mug — to rob
  14. cue — a hint
  15. last — finally
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mug — a face
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — to come down
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mug — a cup
  24. prune — the fruit

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