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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. rest — a break
  6. land — a country
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. spring — of water
  12. march — music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mug — a face
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. march — the month
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — the season
  24. march — the month

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