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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — thin
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mug — to rob
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mug — a face
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tear — from crying
  13. lean — to bend
  14. band — a music group
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. key — in music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a ring
  24. cue — a signal

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