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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spring — the season
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. tube — a container
  8. spring — of water
  9. tube — the underground
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. game — a match

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