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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — an illness
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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