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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — a short time
  6. last — final
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. spell — letters
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. file — a document
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a tool
  17. root — of a word
  18. rush — hurry
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spell — magic
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. file — a line of people

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