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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rush — hurry
  3. mate — a partner
  4. root — of a plant
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — magic
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stand — to bear
  19. mate — to breed
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — ministers

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