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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — to come down
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — wild animals
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — a country
  10. pass — a permit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — to rip
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. land — ground
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ruler — a monarch

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