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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. chip — in a computer

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