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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rest — a break
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. ground — a position
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. race — the arms race
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. field — a subject
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. field — for sport
  20. ground — crushed
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. race — humankind
  23. race — a contest
  24. spring — the season

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