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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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Word bank
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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. rule — a law
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to click
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a hat
  7. degree — temperature
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cap — a lid
  16. branch — a division
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — from a university
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. degree — an amount
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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