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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — a song
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. track — a path
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — on your feet

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