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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. sharp — clever
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — all right
  8. firm — a company
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. firm — decided
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. spring — of water
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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