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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. content — the amount
  13. mate — a friend
  14. spell — letters
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — to breed
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. content — happy
  22. game — wild animals
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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