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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — to protest
  3. file — a document
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — government
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. board — to get on
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — hasty
  16. object — an aim
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rule — a law
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rash — a series
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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