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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. staff — employees
  18. court — for sport
  19. bore — to drill
  20. court — of a king
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. court — of law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. staff — employees

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