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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.

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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hand — in cards
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bank — of a river

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