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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — in music
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pop — soda
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. pop — to visit
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. row — a line

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