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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — an aim
  4. mine — for digging
  5. object — to protest
  6. cue — a hint
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — all right
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — a thing
  17. cue — a signal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rule — a law
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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