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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. band — a music group
  3. object — to protest
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — for digging
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. march — the month
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. band — a ring
  11. march — the month
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. shower — to wash
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. fall — the season
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. object — a thing
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fall — to drop

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