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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. band — a music group
  10. rule — a law
  11. band — a ring
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rule — government
  16. pit — in a race
  17. snap — to click
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. deal — to handle
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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