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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — the fruit
  4. race — the arms race
  5. track — a path
  6. rule — government
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. hand — help
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rule — a law
  15. track — a song
  16. race — a contest
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — rain
  20. race — humankind
  21. hand — in cards
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. track — to keep track

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