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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. track — a song
  6. firm — decided
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mate — a friend
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. firm — a company
  12. track — a path
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mate — to breed
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — to keep track
  19. firm — steady
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a line
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. cell — a phone

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