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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — final
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ground — a position
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — finally
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ground — the earth
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. ground — crushed
  22. row — to paddle
  23. last — to go on
  24. row — a line

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