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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. can — a tin
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — to protest
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — an aim
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. last — final
  17. wake — a trail
  18. can — a tin
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. last — finally

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