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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lean — to bend
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. sharp — clever
  20. lean — thin
  21. shower — rain
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cap — a lid

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