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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rule — government
  10. shower — to wash
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — rain
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. patient — a sick person

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