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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: suit · ruler · roll · last · staff · bank · stick · tear

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. suit — to fit
  3. roll — a cake
  4. last — finally
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — final
  7. bank — of a river
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — to go on
  10. bank — for money
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tear — from crying
  16. staff — a stick
  17. tear — to rip
  18. roll — a list
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. suit — in cards
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. tear — from crying

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