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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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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: bear · ruler · squash · deal · row · wave · patient · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. row — to paddle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bear — the animal
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the sport
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. squash — to crush
  22. row — a line
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wave — of the sea

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