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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. prune — to trim
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rash — hasty
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rash — a series
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — to bear

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