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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. root — the cause
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — a phone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. root — of a word
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. root — of a plant
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. spring — of water
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. stand — on your feet

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