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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cue — a hint
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cold — an illness
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — a group
  11. cue — a signal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cold — not warm
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. club — for golf
  22. root — of a word
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lean — thin

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