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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. spell — letters
  2. firm — decided
  3. spell — a short time
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. firm — a company
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. firm — steady
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spell — magic
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kid — child
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rest — a break
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rule — government
  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