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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rule — a law
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. row — to paddle
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — for betting
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — a line
  11. rule — government
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chip — to eat

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