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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rule — a law
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rule — government
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — help
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chair — a leader
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — in football
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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