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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spring — the season
  10. stock — shares
  11. spring — of water
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. stock — goods
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. spring — a coil

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