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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. court — of a king
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rule — a law
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. cold — an illness
  12. cold — not warm
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bulb — for light
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. court — of law
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rule — government
  22. court — for sport
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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