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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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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: ruler · dip · march · chair · row · last · rush · deal

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. last — finally
  5. rush — hurry
  6. row — a line
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. last — final
  13. row — to paddle
  14. last — to go on
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chair — a leader
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. dip — to sink

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