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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 · toast · nail · bowl · deal · ruler

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. last — final
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — finally
  12. last — to go on
  13. toast — bread
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement

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