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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cold — an illness
  6. fine — all right
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. can — a tin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. net — after costs
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. can — to be able to
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cold — not warm
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fine — high quality
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. can — a tin

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