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

Word bank: rock · hide · patient · cap · deal · sharp · ruler · wind

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — moving air
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cap — a hat
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rock — a stone
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cap — a lid
  24. deal — to handle

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