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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. wake — a trail
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bark — to shout
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — a stone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a document
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. file — a tool

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