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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a partner
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — for pool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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