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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — a series
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cold — an illness
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rash — hasty
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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