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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: temple · firm · kid · saw · row · ruler · rest · staff

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. kid — to tease
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kid — child
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rest — what's left
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. firm — a company
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. staff — a stick
  14. saw — the tool
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. firm — steady
  20. rest — what's left
  21. row — a line
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — employees

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