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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. fall — the season
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. land — a country
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. land — to come down
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — to handle
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fall — to drop
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. land — ground

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