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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — low music
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. cold — an illness
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. cap — of ice
  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