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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · bear · ruler · tear · rock · date

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. tear — to rip
  3. rock — a stone
  4. last — to go on
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rock — music
  8. last — finally
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bear — to put up with

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