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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — wild animals
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. present — a gift
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. game — a match
  8. rash — a series
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cell — in biology
  16. present — there
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — hasty
  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