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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. pop — music
  3. bass — low music
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — to visit
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pop — soda

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