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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. craft — boats
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chip — for betting
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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