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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. rule — government
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. root — the cause
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. prune — to trim
  9. race — the arms race
  10. toast — bread
  11. race — humankind
  12. rule — a law
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. prune — to trim
  16. root — of a word
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. race — a contest

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