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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 116 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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. snap — to click
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wake — a trail
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bowl — a dish

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