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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wind — moving air
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bass — low music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wound — an injury
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. leaves — to go away

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