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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. rush — hurry
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. squash — to crush
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bulb — for light
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. march — music
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — the month

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