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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: mate · dip · ruler · leaves · row · wave · pit · drill

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mate — a partner
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — army training
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mate — a friend
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — the tool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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