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

Word bank: court · rule · wound · mine · ruler · snap · craft · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rule — a law
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. court — of law
  7. snap — to click
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — a skill
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. court — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of a king
  16. mine — for digging
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. rule — government
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. craft — boats
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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