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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 · bay · cold · wave · land · ruler · last · stick

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. land — ground
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. last — to go on
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. last — final
  9. land — a country
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. land — to come down
  13. cold — an illness
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bore — to drill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. last — finally
  24. wave — of the sea

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