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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 120 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: ruler · present · fall · lie · foot · mine · bowl · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. present — there
  6. mine — for digging
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fall — the season
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. present — a gift
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. present — the time now
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. foot — part of the body

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