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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fine — high quality
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spring — the season
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — all right
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — a coil
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — an aircraft

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