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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: rock · wound · cabinet · shower · ruler · swing · wave · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rock — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. swing — to play on
  15. wound — an injury
  16. shower — rain
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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