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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rash — hasty
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. face — to confront
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ball — a great time
  13. kid — child
  14. face — part of the head
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. face — to point toward
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rash — a series
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — to tease

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