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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: bore · wave · wind · degree · rest · present · land · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. present — the time now
  3. land — to come down
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wind — moving air
  7. degree — from a university
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. present — there
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to drill
  14. present — a gift
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — temperature
  24. land — a country

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