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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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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: row · last · present · mouse · face · cap · lean · ruler

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. cap — a hat
  3. last — final
  4. face — to point toward
  5. row — a line
  6. lean — to bend
  7. present — there
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. lean — thin
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. present — a gift
  15. last — finally
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. face — to confront
  22. present — the time now
  23. cap — a lid
  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