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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rash — hasty
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — to shout
  15. roll — a cake
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. staff — employees
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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