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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ball — a great time
  6. object — an aim
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. cap — a hat
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. object — a thing
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — of ice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. shower — to wash
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. cap — a lid
  23. object — to protest
  24. sharp — clever

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