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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — the earth
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ground — a position
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — of ice
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a lid
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. wind — moving air
  22. swing — in golf
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. stem — to come from

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