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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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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: field · last · nail · squash · jam · rest · ruler · straw

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. squash — the sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. field — a subject
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. field — for sport
  15. last — final
  16. rest — what's left
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — to go on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rest — a break
  22. last — finally
  23. squash — to crush
  24. field — farmland

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