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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. hand — help
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. club — for dancing
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — music
  9. hand — in cards
  10. file — a tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. staff — employees
  14. file — a line of people
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — a stick
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — a stone
  21. staff — employees
  22. squash — the sport
  23. club — a group
  24. squash — the vegetable

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