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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spell — magic
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. spell — letters
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bark — to shout
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. row — a line
  23. stem — to come from
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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