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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rule — government
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — to drill
  11. suit — in cards
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — magic
  19. field — a subject
  20. spell — letters
  21. field — farmland
  22. suit — to fit
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — with an edge

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