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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. staff — employees
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — a stick
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. lie — to recline
  23. staff — employees
  24. lie — an untruth

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