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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. degree — an amount
  5. spring — a coil
  6. degree — temperature
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. degree — from a university
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. spring — the season
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spring — of water
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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