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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. swing — to play on
  3. season — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — of the year
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. swing — music
  9. row — a line
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. band — a music group
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a ring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. nail — for a hammer

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