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

Word bank: bank · ruler · wave · pop · stick · hide

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pop — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — for money
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pop — soda
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. 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