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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 116 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: pop · last · wave · ball · rule · fine · straw · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. last — finally
  3. rule — a law
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pop — to visit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rule — government
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. saw — the tool
  11. last — final
  12. last — to go on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. fine — all right
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — soda
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pop — music

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