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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. drill — army training
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. clip — a video
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bass — the fish
  10. lean — thin
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rock — music
  13. bass — low music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. clip — for paper
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. drill — a practice
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. sharp — clever

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