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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 120 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: coach · march · pop · sharp · mouse · nail · ruler · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. last — finally
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pop — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — clever
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — final
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. sharp — exactly

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