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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. suit — clothes
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. cold — not warm
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. suit — to fit
  20. kick — in football
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cold — an illness
  24. hide — to keep secret

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