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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 124 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. firm — a company
  6. drill — a practice
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. spring — a coil
  9. ball — a dance
  10. spring — of water
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spring — the season
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wax — to grow
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bound — certain
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. firm — steady
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ball — a great time
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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