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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rule — a law
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rule — government
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wake — a trail
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. mate — to breed
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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