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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. key — the most important part
  6. march — the month
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — hasty
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. key — for a lock
  13. march — music
  14. key — in music
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. march — the month
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pop — to visit
  24. staff — employees

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