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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. season — of the year
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. firm — a company
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — in sport
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. firm — steady
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — a weight
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. firm — decided
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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