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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chest — a box
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. can — a tin
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rule — government
  12. bark — to shout
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. can — a tin
  16. chest — of your body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. rule — a law
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — of the sea

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