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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spring — of water
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — a company
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. rest — what's left
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a song
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — steady
  17. rest — a break
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. firm — decided
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. shower — rain
  24. spring — the season

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