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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — the tool
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. root — of a word
  9. lie — to recline
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — of a plant
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. drill — army training
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. root — the cause
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ruler — a monarch

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