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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. firm — steady
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. lean — thin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to tire
  17. march — the month
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. march — music
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. firm — a company

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