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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 am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rest — a break
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rest — what's left
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. nail — on a finger

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