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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rash — a series
  3. court — of law
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. court — for sport
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. court — of a king
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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