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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. capital — money
  6. firm — steady
  7. season — in sport
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — to rip
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. firm — a company
  15. capital — a city
  16. firm — decided
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. season — of the year
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tear — from crying
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. tear — from crying

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