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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. fall — the season
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fall — to drop
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. object — a thing
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. root — the cause
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. object — an aim
  19. fall — to drop
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to click
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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