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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · bowl · ruler · march · plane · squash · rash · last

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. march — music
  8. squash — to crush
  9. firm — a company
  10. rash — a series
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. march — the month
  13. rash — hasty
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. plane — a tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — finally
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. march — the month

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