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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: bear · saw · race · track · mouse · toast · ruler · last

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. track — a song
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. race — humankind
  9. last — final
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. race — a contest
  12. last — to go on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. race — the arms race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. track — a path
  20. toast — bread
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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