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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a partner
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — to breed
  8. file — a tool
  9. mate — a friend
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. file — a document
  13. cap — a lid
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cap — a hat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bound — certain
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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