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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. fall — to drop
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — in control
  6. cold — an illness
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rule — a law
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — a price
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cold — not warm
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fall — the season
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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