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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lean — to bend
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — for measuring

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