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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · wake · patient · march · sharp · tear · object · spell

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — letters
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. object — a thing
  7. spell — a short time
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. march — the month
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spell — magic
  15. march — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. tear — from crying
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — to protest
  24. march — the month

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