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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. last — final
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. last — finally
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in biology
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cell — a phone
  15. tube — a container
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pop — soda
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. patient — a sick person

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