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

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rule — government
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. rule — a law
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship

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