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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 116 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a song
  6. file — a line of people
  7. track — a path
  8. degree — from a university
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. degree — temperature
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a document
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — an amount
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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