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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. spell — magic
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. game — a match
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. march — the month
  15. mate — a partner
  16. march — the month
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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