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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. game — wild animals
  3. file — a document
  4. rule — a law
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. game — a match
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rule — government
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. lie — to recline

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