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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. drill — a practice
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. drill — army training
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rash — hasty
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. firm — a company
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rash — a series
  17. last — to go on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. last — finally
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. firm — steady
  23. drill — the tool
  24. last — final

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