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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rule — government
  6. key — in music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tube — a container
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chair — a leader
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stem — to come from
  24. key — the most important part

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