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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — a container
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rest — what's left
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — the underground
  15. capital — a city
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rest — a break
  19. season — in sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. capital — money
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. season — of the year
  24. squash — the sport

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