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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. hand — help
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. roll — a list
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. key — the most important part
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. key — in music

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