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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.

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: ball · squash · bore · spring · patient · ruler · mine · cap

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. spring — a coil
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. squash — the sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spring — of water
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — the season
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cap — a lid
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — to drill

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