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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: drill · rest · mouse · mate · ruler · snap · face · last

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. last — finally
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — a partner
  7. face — to confront
  8. drill — the tool
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. rest — a break
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. drill — army training
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. snap — to click
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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