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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — to drop
  4. chest — a box
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cue — a hint
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. can — to be able to
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. march — the month
  23. degree — temperature
  24. fall — the season

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