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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fine — all right
  7. ball — a dance
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. prune — to trim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. prune — to trim
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fine — a penalty

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