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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a partner
  9. staff — a stick
  10. game — a match
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mate — to breed
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. face — to confront
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. face — to point toward
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — clever

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