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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: wave · ruler · swing · shower · date · wake · content · scale

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. date — the fruit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — rain
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. scale — size or range
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wake — a trail
  19. swing — in golf
  20. shower — to wash
  21. scale — in music
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — for measuring

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