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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: ruler · rash · roll · present · firm · last · can · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. last — to go on
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. last — final
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. present — a gift
  7. firm — steady
  8. present — there
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — a tin
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. can — to be able to
  15. firm — decided
  16. roll — a list
  17. firm — a company
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. present — the time now

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