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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — all right
  14. object — to protest
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. object — an aim
  17. wound — an injury
  18. file — a document
  19. object — a thing
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mug — a face
  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