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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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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: rock · bear · ruler · rule · wave · lean · scale · saw

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. scale — in music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rule — government
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rock — a stone
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. rule — a law
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rock — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wave — with your hand

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