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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rest — a break
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spell — letters
  9. bound — certain
  10. spell — a short time
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. mug — a face
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bound — tied together
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spell — magic
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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