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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cue — a signal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — in sport
  7. swing — in golf
  8. row — to paddle
  9. cue — for pool
  10. face — to confront
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. face — to point toward
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. face — part of the head
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — of the year

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