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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
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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: wave · race · sharp · fine · land · row · date · ruler

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. row — a line
  8. land — ground
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — to paddle
  11. date — the fruit
  12. land — a country
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. sharp — clever
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. race — humankind
  18. race — a contest
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — all right
  23. race — the arms race
  24. date — on the calendar

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