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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rock — music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mug — a cup
  8. prune — to trim
  9. land — to come down
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. land — ground
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. wake — a trail
  15. land — a country
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. key — for a lock
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. key — in music
  20. mug — to rob
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rock — a stone
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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