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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: last · face · straw · mouse · safe · ruler · shower · pitch

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — finally
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. last — final
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. shower — rain
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. last — to go on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pitch — completely

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