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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — the season
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — thin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rule — government
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rule — a law
  19. pit — a hole
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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