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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — a series
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. last — finally
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. season — in sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. last — final
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. ruler — for measuring

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