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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · rest · rock · bat · staff · saw · ruler · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. rest — what's left
  3. staff — employees
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — of water
  21. bat — the animal
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. date — the fruit

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