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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cold — not warm
  6. firm — decided
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. tube — the underground
  9. saw — the tool
  10. firm — a company
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. tube — a container
  14. mark — a grade
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mark — a trace
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — steady
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — an illness

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