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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. prune — to trim
  7. net — in sport
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. net — after costs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. net — for catching
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cold — not warm
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. prune — to trim
  24. date — the fruit

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