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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 116 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rule — government
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hand — help
  9. rule — a law
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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