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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. prune — to trim
  3. current — of water
  4. spell — magic
  5. prune — to trim
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. current — happening now
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. object — a thing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fall — to drop
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. object — to protest

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