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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — a break
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. current — of water
  8. drill — army training
  9. current — happening now
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bound — certain
  16. current — electric
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bound — obliged
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bound — tied together
  22. mine — for digging
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. ruler — for measuring

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