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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. hand — help
  6. object — a thing
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mark — a trace
  9. object — an aim
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rash — hasty
  14. object — to protest
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hand — in cards
  17. rash — a series
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mark — a grade

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