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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.

Make a worksheet

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: suit · date · content · arm · last · ruler · straw · chair

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. suit — clothes
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. chair — a leader
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. content — the amount
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. suit — to fit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. last — finally
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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