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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: wave · lean · march · mug · ground · cue · rule · bear

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — government
  7. mug — a face
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — music
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. march — the month
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ground — the earth
  20. march — the month
  21. ground — a position
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cue — a signal

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