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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rule — government
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. face — part of the head
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cell — a phone
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cell — in biology
  18. face — to confront
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mine — for digging

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