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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lean — thin
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. lean — to bend
  5. cue — a signal
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rash — a series
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — a hint
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chip — for betting
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — with a leg

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