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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mate — a partner
  3. firm — decided
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — a company
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ground — crushed
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tear — to rip
  20. ground — the earth
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mate — to breed
  23. ground — a position
  24. tear — from crying

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