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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. cue — a hint
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rule — a law
  6. prune — to trim
  7. current — electric
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. cue — for pool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cue — a signal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wind — moving air
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. current — of water
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. current — happening now
  21. spring — a coil
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wind — moving air

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