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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. craft — boats
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — hasty
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bound — obliged
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bound — certain
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lean — thin
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. game — a match
  24. bound — tied together

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