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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — a law
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rule — government
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rock — music
  8. drill — a practice
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cap — a lid
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. drill — army training
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fork — to eat with

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