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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: roll · ruler · wave · bay · deal · land · spring · rash

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. roll — a cake
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — the season
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. spring — a coil
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. land — to come down
  15. roll — a list
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. land — ground
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. land — a country
  24. ruler — for measuring

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