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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: suit · last · jam · wave · present · tube · roll · ruler

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. last — finally
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a cake
  8. present — there
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. last — to go on
  14. present — a gift
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. roll — a list
  22. present — the time now
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. suit — in cards

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