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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cap — a lid
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mate — a partner
  11. capital — money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. race — the arms race
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. capital — a city
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — humankind
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. race — a contest
  24. cap — a hat

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