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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · mine · ruler · wave · degree · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. race — a contest
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. race — humankind
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mine — for digging
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. degree — temperature
  15. race — the arms race
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. mine — an explosive

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