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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bass — low music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. prune — to trim
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bass — the fish

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