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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ball — a great time
  8. dip — to sink
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. track — a song
  12. track — to keep track
  13. last — final
  14. lean — thin
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. track — a path

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