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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. branch — a division
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rule — government
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. date — the fruit
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — a law
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fan — a supporter
  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