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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. court — for sport
  4. bound — certain
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bound — tied together
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. court — of a king
  11. craft — boats
  12. band — a music group
  13. ground — the earth
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bound — obliged
  16. court — of law
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ground — a position
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ground — crushed
  22. band — a ring
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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