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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. scale — in music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. scale — size or range
  16. spring — of water
  17. hand — help
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spring — a coil
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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