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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · net · patient · bay · ruler · squash · cap · spell

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mate — a partner
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. squash — to crush
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. mate — a friend
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — the sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ruler — for measuring

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