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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — rain
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. file — a document
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a trace
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. file — a tool
  18. pit — in a race
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pit — a hole
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cell — in biology

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