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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. chair — a leader
  10. shower — rain
  11. capital — a city
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — money
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fine — all right
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chair — a professorship

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