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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a path
  6. spring — a coil
  7. scale — in music
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. track — a song
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bear — the animal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. scale — size or range
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. race — a contest
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. trunk — of a tree

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