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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mug — a cup
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. wake — a trail
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lean — thin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a face
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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