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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. last — final
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. last — finally
  14. dip — to sink
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. rash — a series
  19. rest — what's left
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. last — to go on

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