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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rule — a law
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kid — child
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lean — to bend
  17. firm — decided
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chip — for betting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lean — thin
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — to tease

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