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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ground — the earth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — in sport
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. staff — a stick
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — employees

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