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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bat — the animal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. swing — to play on
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ground — the earth
  10. swing — music
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — in golf
  15. track — a path
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ground — a position
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. track — a song
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — letters
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. spell — magic

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