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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. rule — a law
  3. cell — a phone
  4. key — in music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. roll — a list
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rule — government
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. can — a tin
  18. cell — in biology
  19. firm — steady
  20. can — a tin
  21. firm — a company
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. firm — decided
  24. patient — a sick person

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