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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — the fish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — in sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. rule — a law
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — for catching
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a committee
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rule — government

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