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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. craft — boats
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. spell — magic
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bound — obliged
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mine — for digging
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. spell — a short time
  17. cap — a hat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pound — a weight
  21. spell — letters
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pound — to hit hard

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