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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ball — a great time
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — to paddle
  11. prune — to trim
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. scale — in music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to click
  19. ball — a dance
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. prune — the fruit

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