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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: craft · chair · last · bass · firm · ruler · saw · wake

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. firm — steady
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. chair — a leader
  9. last — finally
  10. saw — the tool
  11. firm — a company
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. last — final
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bass — low music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. craft — boats
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. firm — decided
  22. last — to go on
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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