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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. band — a ring
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wound — an injury
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wind — moving air
  17. chip — to eat
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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