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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mate — a partner
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. face — part of the head
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — finally
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — to confront
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — a friend
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mate — to breed
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. last — final
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. fan — a supporter

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