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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: kid · board · present · mine · wave · ruler · mouse · last

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. present — there
  2. kid — to tease
  3. present — a gift
  4. last — finally
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kid — child
  9. board — to get on
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. last — final
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. present — the time now
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. last — to go on
  18. board — a committee
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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