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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rock — music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. roll — a cake
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mate — a partner
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mine — for digging
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mate — to breed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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