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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: snap · wave · rash · ruler · racket · bay · mine · straw

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rash — hasty
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. snap — to click
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rash — a series
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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