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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — a container
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. season — in sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — not warm
  9. roll — a list
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. roll — a cake
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — of the year
  16. rule — a law
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cold — an illness
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. tube — the underground
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. rule — government

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