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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 lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fine — all right
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. fine — high quality
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wind — moving air

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