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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. net — for catching
  4. kid — to tease
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — decided
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. snap — to click
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. face — part of the head
  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