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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 · wake · lean · club · ruler · squash · game · pop

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. club — for dancing
  4. pop — music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wake — a trail
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. pop — soda
  13. lean — to bend
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. game — wild animals
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — thin
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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