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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rest — what's left
  3. swing — to play on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rule — government
  6. rest — a break
  7. last — finally
  8. board — to get on
  9. swing — music
  10. last — to go on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. swing — in golf
  18. last — final
  19. board — a committee
  20. rule — a law
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mate — a partner
  24. ball — a round shape

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