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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · land · ruler · bass · mug · rule · fan · file

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. mug — a cup
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. file — a tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. land — a country
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bass — low music
  17. rule — government
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — a law
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mug — to rob
  24. file — a document

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