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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: lash · ruler · degree · plane · rest · firm · file · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. file — a line of people
  3. degree — an amount
  4. firm — steady
  5. rest — a break
  6. degree — temperature
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. firm — decided
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. degree — from a university
  24. file — a tool

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