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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — bread
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. ball — a dance
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rule — a law
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. stem — to come from
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spell — magic
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rule — government
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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