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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a hat
  6. fall — the season
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for golf
  12. tear — from crying
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — a group
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. fall — to drop
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a ring
  20. club — for dancing
  21. cap — a lid
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. band — a rubber band

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