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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. content — happy
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fine — all right
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fine — high quality
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cap — a lid
  22. content — the amount
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — to dunk

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