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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. press — a publisher
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — steady
  10. fall — the season
  11. can — a tin
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. cap — of ice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — to be able to
  17. fall — to drop
  18. firm — a company
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — to push
  24. ruler — for measuring

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