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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ball — a dance
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ball — a great time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. deal — to handle

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