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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — finally
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fine — all right
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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