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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · lie · mate · bat · wave · mug · ruler · wake

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mug — a face
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mate — a friend
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. spring — a coil
  24. lie — to recline

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