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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — decided
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. last — final
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. club — for golf
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — to go on
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. last — finally
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. present — there
  22. firm — a company
  23. club — a group
  24. dip — a sauce

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