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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a ring
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. lean — thin
  13. band — a music group
  14. present — the time now
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. file — a document
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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