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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — magic
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kid — to tease
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. suit — clothes
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. fall — the season
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spell — letters
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — child

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