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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: racket · ruler · bear · kid · arm · season · wave · spell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. season — in sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. kid — child
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. spell — magic
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kid — to tease
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bear — the animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — of the year
  24. spell — a short time

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