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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. row — a line
  3. roll — a cake
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. spell — magic
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — final
  12. pop — music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — to go on
  24. pop — to visit

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