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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 116 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pound — a weight
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — high quality
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. snap — to click
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — all right
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. degree — temperature
  23. pound — for dogs
  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