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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: pitcher · ruler · plane · last · dip · kick · toast · chair

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. toast — bread
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. last — final
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. last — to go on
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ruler — a monarch

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