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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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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: ruler · rest · rash · fork · bowl · last · safe · straw

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. last — to go on
  6. rest — a break
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. last — final
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rash — a series
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. last — finally
  24. rash — on the skin

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